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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25844026">Balter</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/corvidry/pseuds/corvidry'>corvidry</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Steven Universe (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, mentions of the terrifying renegade pearl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 04:56:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,694</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25844026</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/corvidry/pseuds/corvidry</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“No one’s told us to dance,” Yellow offered helpfully.</p><p>“I know,” came Blue’s soft reply. Yellow frowned at the brevity of it.</p><p>“Then why?”</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>  <i>If her, then why not us?</i></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Blue Diamond &amp; Yellow Diamond (Steven Universe), Blue Diamond's Pearl &amp; Yellow Diamond's Pearl (Steven Universe)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Balter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>balter (v.) - to dance artlessly, without particular grace or skill but usually with enjoyment</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p></p><div class="">
  <p>Blue Pearl settled at her station in the silent corridor, tipping her nose downward toward her companion in greeting.  Yellow Pearl raised her eyebrows in response, but neither one spoke. They fell into the usual wordless reverie, each largely minding their own business as expected of them.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>It wasn't that they never talked during these things.  Indeed, lately their Diamonds' meetings had a habit of growing heated and running rather long, but a pearl left to her own devices at this level of frequency tended to run out of material quickly.  There wasn't much gossip to be had today that hadn't been had yesterday or the day before.  With so much constant conference between their courts, Blue sincerely wished she had more to say. She'd been friends with Yellow Pearl for thousands of years, but never once had they had this degree of leisure with one another.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>A glance back to Yellow revealed that she had chosen to busy herself with one of her holo-screens today. There must have been some clerical task she could take care of with all this free time, but Blue couldn't think of anything for her own sake. No, it would be a long day of standing for her.  Silently she wished she could come up with something similar to do. Any excuse to take out her own screen and draw a little.  Lately all she had wanted to do was draw.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Drawing, of course, was not a new activity for the pearl, but lately it had taken on new life for her.  There was a scene that continued to play in Blue's mind, one she had tried to draw over and over, but never quite could capture correctly. If only she could draw, there would be plenty of time to try and recreate it. To recreate…</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The outcome must have been quite bad, she supposed, if pearls weren't being taken into meetings anymore.  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The scene that consumed her, of course, was the same scene that consumed her Diamond. The very moment that left her standing at this entryway for the last several cycles in a row.  She had been lucky enough to see it with her very own eyes. The Earth, the Palanquin, the Quartz…</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>…the pearl.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Blue had encountered this pearl before, of course, but she needn't say so. Not if nobody was asking.  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>And anyway, a pearl behaving in such a disgraceful way was hardly recognizable to begin with.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Except, that wasn't true at all, was it?  No, not at all, and that was what brought the scene once again to the forefront of Blue's mind.  This strange and alien pearl was so familiar in her movement that the violence of it all seemed to melt away from Blue's perception even as the fight continued in full force.  The purposeful swing of her sword, the elegant sway of her stride as she rounded on the next assailant. If Blue hadn't known better, she would have sworn the renegade was dancing. A pearl like any other, helpless to the tune of her own body.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The sight of her stirred something in Blue that she couldn't quite name, a litany of questions flooding her mind all at once. They would continue to pour into every quiet moment and every idle thought. Even now, cycles after the carnage, those questions persisted. How could she capture a pearl like that on her canvas?</p>
  <p><em>How could there </em> <strong> <em>be </em> </strong> <em>a pearl like that to capture?</em></p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Without meaning to, Blue raised her arm. She mimicked the sword in one slow, fluid motion. If a pearl could become something so alien to her understanding, yet still dance like one of them, then…</p>
  <p><em>What were </em> <strong> <em>any</em> </strong> <em> of them capable of?</em></p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Pff--"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>A soft snicker cut through her reverie and Blue settled back into idleness to regard her companion.  Evidently Yellow Pearl had been paying her more mind than she realized.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"What are you doing?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>What, indeed.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"I was thinking of…dancing." The azure pearl's reply came slow and hesitant.  Traitorously sincere in its simplicity.  Yellow Pearl set her brow skeptically.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Dancing?" she asked. She shifted with an impatient huff as though waiting for clarification, but Blue Pearl offered none, instead raising her arm to demonstrate once again the fluid motion of the renegade's sword.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>At this, both turned their gaze instinctively to the entrance of the corridor, waiting for some Diamond or another to emerge and condone the foreign movement. An instant passed, then another. No such Diamond came.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Blue did not ask if her companion recognized the motion, but surely she did. By now every pearl knew this story inside and out.  Sensing the meaning, Yellow began to fidget.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"No one's told us to dance," Yellow offered helpfully.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"I know," came Blue's soft reply. Yellow frowned at the brevity of it.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Then why?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Why not?"</p>
  <p>
    <em>If her, then why not us?</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Yellow Pearl seemed to consider this, brushing canary curls from her cheek as she worried the point of her chin with her fingers. There were plenty of reasons, of course. Any pearl could summon a million reasons not to do just about anything, but Yellow seemed to be searching in the other direction.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Who would have you dance like that?" Yellow asked after a long moment of consideration. Blue noted the absence of her usual contrarian attitude and smiled. Genuine interest was a rarity between them for fancies such as these.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"I suppose…<em><strong>I</strong></em> would," Blue replied, her smile growing conspiratorial. She did a conservative twirl, swinging her splayed fingers toward Yellow with refined grace. She had meant it to be more aggressive, but such a movement proved too unfamiliar for a first attempt.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"You would?" Yellow asked with a snort. She seemed utterly tickled by the notion. "In that case, how would you have me dance?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Blue frowned at this, retracting her hand. No, she hadn't intended to play the Diamond in this scenario. That wasn't her meaning at all. She sought to clarify.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"How would <em><strong>you</strong></em> have you dance?" Blue asked.  Her voice was soft, cautious in its clear suggestion.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Yellow tilted her head as though she hadn't thought of anything quite like that before. She risked a glance toward the entrance once again before regarding Blue fully.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Well, if you were to dance like that, then I suppose I'd have to--"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Yellow punctuated with a leap backward as though avoiding a blow, landing with a well-practiced flourish.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Something like that," she finished, her voice giddy, but uncharacteristically hushed.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The move had been less of a leap and more a stiff hop as the threat of being observed loomed ever present in each of their minds. Silently, they agreed to step exactly four paces away from the corridor entrance. Near enough for plausible deniability, far enough for some cobble-headed delusion of privacy. For a pearl, four paces may as well be a long way.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The instant Blue felt a comfortable distance, she threw herself forward, arm outstretched like the swing of that sword, threatening to tap her newfound opponent at the nearest opportunity. Yellow caught on immediately, twirling at once out of Blue's grasp before returning  with a gentle, albeit less inspired tap of her own.  The two traded 'attacks' like this, each move more graceful and elaborate than the last, occasionally joining hands for short periods to bridge with something more traditional. It wasn't until Yellow's own panache got the best of her that their dance came crashing to a close. Sliding a little too confidently on the smooth tile floor, Yellow reached desperately for something to steady herself. Her hands found only the tulle of Blue's dressform, pulling them both to the ground in a heap.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"I've been defeated," Blue hummed, her grin wide. It was hardly the voice of a gem who had been bested in combat, but she supposed it a solid first attempt.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Get off," Yellow huffed, pushing roughly at Blue's ribs. Blue Pearl obliged, laughing good naturedly as she began to right herself.  In spite of everything, Yellow couldn't help but laugh as well.  Something about their movements had churned the air lighter. At once they set to begin again.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Blue Pearl had just found her stride for the second time when the two stumbled to a screeching halt at sound of booming voices growing ever louder.  Their Diamonds were approaching.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"I'm telling you, Blue, all you're doing is torturing yourself. The Earth colony is a total waste.  What's the point of keeping any part of it now that--?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The huge door the two pearls had meant to attend slid open. Two towering diamonds stepped out into the corridor.  Instantly, both pearls stood at attention, their eyes growing teary despite the elation each felt only moments ago.  As if on cue, the cause of those tears spoke out, her voice loud and shrill.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <h2>
    <em> <strong>"BUT IT WAS HERS!!"</strong> </em>
  </h2>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Well she's not here." Yellow Diamond shot back. "You can't just keep clinging to that horrid little planet like it's going to bring her back."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Blue scowled, huge tears dripping from her form as she gathered her pearl in her hands. By now Blue Pearl's face had begun to flood from the close contact.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"We have to come to some agreement about this." Blue Diamond said gravely. "We're never going to reach one if you insist on being so unreasonable."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Yellow Diamond let out a scoff, motioning for her pearl to follow her.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"We'll see."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The corridor filled with the light of the warp pad before all was still once again. No more dancing, no more loud voices, just the soft sniffle of Blue Diamond standing alone with her pearl clutched gently in her hands.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"She doesn't understand," fretted the diamond to her pearl.  "Pink is worth remembering."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Blue Pearl, well versed in the role she was to play in this exchange, prepared to reach from her Diamond's grasp to wipe at the grand teardrops that would almost certainly be soaking her in the next moment or two.  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"That planet has many things worth remembering," her Diamond murmured between sobs.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Extending her hand like the elegant point of that sword, Blue Pearl resolved that she couldn't agree more.</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This prompt was yet another request sent to me over on my tumblr of the same name. If you wanna bully me into writing things, feel free to follow me over there. It's where I'm most active.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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